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There was another significant turnout at Hart Leisure
Centre on the evening of Thursday 4 December. During the three hour
session, the planning inspector listened to the views of local residents
from Hart and Rushmoor, MPs and Councillors (even if the acoustics were
not ideal). Thanks to all who turned out and raised their concerns.
One of the new points of concern was that Fluor have confirmed they will
relocate their UK Operations Centre with 1,600 staff to Farnborough
Business Park (IQ Farnborough) which is adjacent to Farnborough
airfield, with construction of their 200,000+ sq ft facilities
commencing next month. This raised the question about how will our local
infrastructure cope with the potential addition of a massive mega depot.
Hart Council and SPLAT have already separately presented our cases
during the daily public inquiry sessions. The inquiry is now expected to
complete on Wednesday 17 December.
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ProLogis’s moral dilemma
ProLogis’s National Rail Freight Strategy document states:
 “..Everybody knows that moving freight by rail is a far more sustainable
option than piling additional goods onto the roads. The public knows it,
the Government knows it and ProLogis knows it
“..There is a rare consensus between the public, industry and
government, that after nearly 50 years of declining [rail] traffic, more
freight should now be moved by rail, to relieve the burden on the road
network and address climate change.
“..ProLogis recognises that sustainability means more than seeking best
practice in the design, construction and ongoing maintenance of
distribution developments. It is apparent that the transport services
linking its sites to major ports, to mainland Europe and each other,
offer a far greater opportunity to reduce CO2 and other emissions.
“..ProLogis supports the increased use of rail for movement of freight,
as part of a wider commitment to sustainable development and
distribution. The ProLogis Strategy for rail is a practical, corporate
response to this challenge.”
Also, stating that rail freight depots can be smaller than the proposed
massive “road only” mega depot at Pyestock. However, they do not
consider rail freight at all, let alone where rail freight should be
located within our area/region – why? Is this not double standards?
Perhaps the issue is they know Goodmans (a competitive developer) is
considering a Strategic Rail Freight Interchange at Colnbrook (less than 30 miles from Pyestock). So, do they want their
“road only” mega depot to be approved first in case it weakens their
case?
Having “road only” mega depots will ultimately reduce the significant
benefits of rail freight. We have already provided evidence regarding
similar “road only” proposed developments within 40 miles of Pyestock,
at:
We are a small concerned residents group challenging “the
world’s largest owner, manager and developer of distribution facilities”
over their own Sustainability Strategy. We will continue to challenge
these double standards as the impact is more than a local or regional
issue, it is a key government objective, even if it does not support
ProLogis’s plan for Pyestock.
Also, there is a growing concern that mega trucks (as long as 6 cars,
heavier than 52 cars) may become a reality within the UK. The mega
trucks are already being trialled within four countries in Europe and are
expected to erode freight traffic from the rail network as well as other
significant impacts.
ProLogis summarise their strategy with “All Aboard ..This train is ready
to depart.” It might be at their approved ProLogis Park Howbury
development (within 70 miles), but it does not appear to suit their
committed aims for Pyestock – why not?
Further extracts from ProLogis’s strategy document:
Click here to find
out more > |
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